Parklands projects win big at national design awards
Published: 17 October 2018 at 12:00 am
Two Western Sydney Parklands’ projects have been recognised at the highest level at last week’s Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture (AILA) Awards, with Bungarribee at Doonside winning a coveted Award of Excellence and Southern Parklands Vision 2036 picking up a Landscape Architecture Award.
The awards are highly regarded in the landscape design industry and celebrate projects that change the way we view green, open and public spaces in Australia. They showcase initiatives that are highly innovative or considered of national significance.
Suellen Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Western Sydney Parklands Trust was at this year’s awards event in the Gold Coast. She said the success reflected the modern, community-focused approach that the Trust takes to managing the parklands.
“We are extremely proud of the effort by many groups of people that has gone into developing both outstanding projects and acknowledge the outstanding contribution from JMD Design and Andersen Hunter Horne,” she said.
“These projects reflect the best and most aspirational qualities of what the Parklands has to offer, such as our commitment to helping create memorable experiences, connecting people with the beauty of Western Sydney landscapes and facilitating the health and wellbeing of communities.”
The awards celebrated 38 winners over 14 categories such as cultural heritage, tourism and urban design. Southern Parklands Vision 2036 was recognised in the Landscape Planning category, and Bungarribee at Doonside in Parks and Open Spaces.
“The Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards show us what is possible in our industry. We need to continue to think outside of the box to find new ways to make things work for both people and the ecology,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
"This is what Western Sydney people are expecting from organisations like ours.”
You can read more about all the 2018 award winners on the AILA website. The following citations have been provided from the AILA.
Bungarribee at Doonside – JMD Design
This project succeeds in creating a transformational parkland that artfully integrates play into the natural landscape. Connecting paths invite you to explore the natural landscape of the grassland and the creek which is repaired and given prominence. The design frames and celebrates the existing natural landscape allowing the visitor to appreciate the striking landscape of the grasslands, the big open sky and distant views whilst hinting at the pastoral and industrial past of the site.
The over-scaled, play features are sculptural landmarks that create iconic gathering spaces that are subtly connected to the industrial objects from nearby. The park provides a substantial new typology of open space for western Sydney that includes inspiring places to play and socialize whilst revealing the cultural past and restoring the natural qualities of the place.
Southern Parklands Vision 2036
The Southern Parklands Vision 2036 demonstrates excellent leadership and sustainable outcomes for ‘Sydney’s Biggest Backyard’, consisting of some 1500 hectares, which is 28% of Sydney’s parklands.
The jury valued that the landscape architect led all aspects of the project and with stakeholder consultation, developed a founding set of solid principles to inform and guide future planning and decision making for the enhancement of the parkland corridor and the adjacent inter-connected areas.
The vision has proven to be a step in the right direction, as it has been used to inform and influence parliamentary decision making with the re-alignment of the M12 Motorway Link. The vision has the capabilities to positively address the growing community and their future interactions with the parklands as well as provide a strong landscape framework for future implementation planning opportunities.